A Libretto
by worthlessvalor
Summary: "A story dated back on time, told a mesmerizing tale of loyalty and lies."   Will have some hints of Cendrillon and Cantarella in later chapters. RitsuxMako. A bit RukoxTeto.
1. When the predator spares its prey

Standing proudly in the middle of the green forest was a huge castle. The scars all over its surrounding told a tale of the magnificent strength it had to keep standing still, protecting whatever it held within. Basking in moonlight and glory, its firm stonewalls kept hidden even a greater power; the one written in legend by the symbol of a sturdy pine tree, that kept extracting its roots throughout the earth until the present time.

However, a shadow seeped quietly within, lurking in the darkest corner. It moved slowly, steadily, passing all the spears and swords that surround the castle's ground. Unknown to any beings that breathed their life inside, it silently crept into a certain chamber.

A small figure fell from the ceiling with a hush, towering over a sleeping body at the room. The only moonlight that illuminated the room reflected on the knife it held, ready to change its beautiful silver ray into red.

"Nothing personal."

The cold metal collided with its target without a voice. The shadowy figure was taken aback when it didn't seem to go as how it supposed to be, peeking over the blanket to see its knife struck an empty futon. Another presence appeared in the dim lighted room, catching the assassin off guard and stumbled a few steps back.

"BOO!"

"_Shit—"_

**THUD!**

"Mako, are you okay?"

The door roughly slid open to reveal a dark-haired boy, panting and clutching the sword on his hand tightly. He sighed in relief to see the scene before him, but didn't let his grip faltered even a bit.

"Ehe, I tripped."

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I want to ask the same thing to you, Nii-san."

The girl stood up and dusted the lower part of her yukata, smiling widely to her big brother by the door. The boy coughed in return and turned toward the exit. He gave a last glance to his little sister.

"I'm doing patrol in case the assassin from yesterday is still hiding near here. Now go to sleep."

"I understand, Nii-san. Good night."

The boy nodded in approval before disappearing into the dark corridor. After a few minutes, the dark-haired girl let out a breath she held and nudged the messy blanket over her futon. She laughed quietly as a figure crawled from under it and glared at her. Another minute flew by in silence until the girl decided to start a conversation.

"I'm Mako, the only daughter of Hashirama—"

"I know."

Mako blinked and gave a questioning look to the assassin. She eyed the figure and took all the details she could find; red hair, green eyes, about the same age as her, a boy. She clapped her hands as it all clicked in her mind and giggled.

"So, you are the assassin Nii-san told me about; the one that could escape from him and even tore a scar on his face."

The assassin tensed and his eyes narrowed dangerously, hands quietly but frantically searching for something. Mako seemed to notice this and held out the possible thing he was looking for, twirling it on her finger.

"Your knife is in my possession. If you understand the situation, then stay still and listen to what I have to say."

The boy's eyes widened in disbelief but quickly switched into another glare. He saw the seven years old girl giggled once again and he growled in anger.

"I'll call the guard if you decide to go against my offer."

His eyes twitched in irritation as he found himself being played around by this powerless girl. His mind tried to come out with a plan to escape the situation and accomplish his mission. He tried to corner her psychologically.

"Well, isn't that the only thing you can do, daughter of Hashirama clan? Calling for help; I think why they call you the worst possible heiress is nothing at mistake. You are a shame for the clan."

He smirked as the girl glared at him back, ready to find a possible opening to retrieve his knife and sliced the girl's throat in one go.

"Oh, so you think you are so great?"

Any time by now; the assassin planted his feet on the wooden floor to charge at times.

"…you're right. I'm worthless."

He almost lost his balance to find the opposite answer of what he had anticipated. The girl laughed nervously and held up the knife, its hilt facing him.

"You can take this knife and kill me right now. But, I believe you won't find yourself out of this castle alive. Or—"

Mako twirled the knife again so that the sharp edge was facing him this time. She smiled mischievously.

"You can eat up your pride and take my offer. I can get you out of here without difficulties at all."

He stared at the knife and then to the girl that was holding it, eyes narrowed all the while. His mind searched for the best decision. His sharp eyes darted to the window and contemplated his surrounding. True to the girl's words, he couldn't possibly escape without her help this time. Beside, killing her was not the only thing assigned to him. He decided to surrender for now and looked for a better opportunity in the future. The assassin stood on his knees, bowing to the girl before him.

"I understand. So, what may you have in offer, Miss Hashirama?"

"Alright!"

Mako smiled sweetly as she handed over his knife, which the assassin took without hesitation. She cleared her throat and stood proudly.

"I believe you are aware of this; every year someone from the Hashirama clan will be sent to be a guardian of the Kasane next heir. This year, it will be either me or my big brother."

The assassin nodded to the girl before him. He mused a bit in his head.

_And it was my mission to get rid of those possible guardians__…_

"You have fought my brother before and must have known his power. He is considered as a genius with blade and always stands on the top. But, you can match even him."

The boy held the urge to boast his capability and answered her with another nod. He seemed to be getting where this would be going.

"So, I want you to be my personal trainer for the upcoming selection. You will teach me until I defeat my brother and gain the 'guardian' title!"

"…and you will help me get out of here?"

"Right away!"

She grasped the boy's arm and dragged him out of her room. She stopped on the corner of the corridor and searched for something on the stone wall. She pushed on a tile and a trap door appeared before them.

"I used to escape the boring lesson by using this."

After a few minutes of walking in the darkness, they reached the exit a few meters behind the castle walls. He took note of the location and found it to be outside the sentry observation area. A giggle was heard and he instantly remembered that he was not alone. He turned to the source of the voice.

"Where's your gratitude?"

He mumbled something inaudible and the girl crossed her arms.

"I can't hear you."

"Thank you."

"Very much!"

A vein popped on the assassin face as he glared at the seemingly carefree girl. Didn't she know he was about to kill her just now?

"Okay, so I'll see you here, near this rock, tomorrow morning. See you, Mr. Assassin."

He growled as the girl waved and disappeared to the previous hole they emerged from. He could just ambush her tomorrow; there would be no witnesses. Suddenly a thought struck his head and he smacked his face.

_Why didn't I kill her as we reached the exit?_

He mumbled in frustration but another idea popped out. He could just let her trust him. Killing her wouldn't be a problem, but her brother would. He could gather as many information as possible from the girl and then killed the two siblings at the perfect time. The assassin chuckled darkly as he turned away to the forest, and blended to the green scenery before him.

* * *

><p>So, what do you think of the first chapter? You may already know who the assassin is...<p>

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.^^

Thanks for reading! XD and Review!


	2. The beast lost its fangs

Codename 73; that was how the assassin was called. He was one of the most talented assassins ever lived in that era, and a mere name of his would send shivers down people's spine. Those unlucky enough to be his target had to surrender to their obvious future; death. Though how much he was known in the underworld, his identity remained clouded in mystery. Yes, nobody knew that the famous assassin was in fact a boy in the age of seven.

So, what was the famous assassin doing now; sitting on a huge rock with a bored expression? People would laugh if they were told that codename 73 was caught in his mission by a powerless little girl, and had to surrender to be her personal trainer as the compensation for his death. That, though, was what the truth said.

The young assassin huffed as he rolled his eyes, clearly not amused. He snarled in irritation, his eyes didn't move from their staring contest with a stone in front of him.

"I know you're hiding in a bush behind me, princess…"

"Eh? No way!"

A young girl stepped out of her hiding spot, pouting at the other kid. The boy finally turned his gaze to the visitor, his boring expression didn't waver. He watched as the girl approached him with a wooden sword in her grasp, a wide grin on her face. A while later his eyes slowly switched from the girl to the green scenery behind her, scanning the surrounding, while his ears trying to find if there was another presence following her. The assassin chuckled as he found nothing; the Hashirama future heiress was an idiot after all, he thought.

"What are you looking so serious about?"

He yelped as a black haired girl appeared suddenly in his field of vision, their faces merely an inch from touching.

"Your face crunched like the old man I met a few days ago~"

"Stay back!"

He jumped away and held his dagger in front of him in defense, glaring at her furiously. The girl giggled in return.

"I'm ready to begin my training, Sensei!"

"…whatever. Show me the enbu you have learned."

The assassin relaxed and returned his dagger back to its sheath, watching with his arms crossed as the girl took her fighting stance. He raised a brow at the awkward grip the girl had on her wooden sword, mentally cursing himself at how he could be stuck teaching such a hopeless pupil. If it wasn't for her brother who was a genius in blade, he wouldn't be in this much of trouble in gaining her trust. He sighed.

"This is going to be a long month until the appointed match…"

XXXXX

It had been three weeks since the first time they started the intensive training and the young girl improved faster than the assassin had ever thought. Maybe it was because of her gifted bloodline, he mused to himself. He watched as she moved fluidly with her sword, ending the set of moves with a bow to her master. She panted in exhaustion as she glanced up hopefully to him with a smile.

"So? How was it, Sensei?"

The assassin turned his face away from her as he felt his face starting to heat up before the sight, mentally cursing himself for it. Well, they had been close in the following weeks somehow, and spending his time with her made a certain tingling sensation appeared within him lately.

He didn't like it since it made him stuttered sometimes. His heart also filled with slight guilt every time she gave him that innocent and genuine smile; he was having mercy in his prey, the beast inside him started to lose its fangs. Silence lingered for a few minutes and the young girl tilted her head in confusion. The assassin took this as a cue to break the atmosphere and cleared his throat.

"No. You won't be able to defeat your brother at this rate."

"Eh~? You gotta be kidding me~"

The young girl whined and pouted, her shoulder went limp in disappointment. She quickly slapped her cheeks a few times to cheer herself up, staring at her master with burning eyes filled with determination.

"Then please train me harder from now on, Sensei!"

"That is fine by me, but we're running out of time. You don't have the power or speed to match your brother, and you won't acquire them with only a week of training. So, there is only one technique I can teach you if you still want to win against him."

The assassin sighed a bit and walked toward the girl, stopping a few feet away from her. He gave a smirk to the girl, who tilted her head again in response.

"Come on, princess; attack me anyway you want."

The girl frowned before finally taking her fighting stance, her eyes locked on the boy in front of her. She moved swiftly, settling with a stab to the boy's torso. The boy sidestepped, closing in her direction with the same speed as her attack. His one hand grasped on the wooden sword while the other rose to meet the girl's face, sending her to the hard ground from the simple movement. The girl quickly returned to her feet and took a few steps back, a good distance away from the boy.

She stared at her master in mild shock, trying to comprehend what he had done. The boy threw her wooden sword back at her, gesturing her to try again. She caught it simply before suddenly charged at him again, this time slashing diagonally from his left side. Her eyes went wide as he once again dodged her attack with a single step, sending her stumbling to the ground with a mere pull on her sleeve. She didn't stop this time though, as she quickly switched into a crouching position and swung her weapon across the ground, trying to hit his legs.

The assassin was quite surprised by the sudden movement; he jumped to dodge it by reflexes, stepping one foot on the sword to lock her movement and then brought up his other leg, successfully hitting her face and sent the girl flying a few feet away. He cursed when he finally regained his senses, rushing to the young girl that was lying on the ground in pain. The girl sat up to meet his worried gaze, grinning sheepishly at him.

"Owie~ Was that what you wanted to teach me, Sensei? That was cool!"

"Uh, um, yes. But now, let's treat your bruise before it becomes swollen…"

She obeyed as he put first aids on her cheek, wincing slightly. She stared at his face while he was doing the job, giggling when he turned his flustered face away from her. She smiled sweetly.

"What did you do, Sensei? You almost didn't move at all but you sent me flying. How could you do that?"

"Well, princess, it's called 'counter-attack'. Like its name, the basic is to slip through the enemy's attack and counter it at the same time. In order to do so, you have to move swiftly, absorbing the attack and then return it with a greater force, like a wave. Everyone will move with their own rhythm and set of attacks though; if you can understand their basic pattern and—what? W-what are you staring at?"

"Would you stop calling me 'princess'? I have a name~"

"…but you call me 'sensei'."

"Then tell me your name!"

"I don't have any."

"Oh… Okay, I'll give you one!"

The assassin let out a sound of protest but the girl ignored him. She clapped her hands and then pointed her forefinger at him, grinning in victory.

"Namine Ritsu."

"…huh?"

"That's your name! In the traditional language used by my family, 'namine' means sound of the wave, and 'ritsu' means rhythm. So, putting them together, I find a perfect name for you!"

The assassin blinked and then froze. Had this girl just _named_ him? His trance was disturbed as she flicked on his forehead, trying to get his attention back.

"So, from now on you will call me by name. And I will call you 'Ritsu', okay?"

"Yes, princess…"

"Hey, call my name already~"

He sighed as he saw her pouted, unconsciously smiling. The girl stared in awe as she saw the smile, the first smile he had ever shown in their entire weeks together. Finally, after a few minutes of silence and stares, _Ritsu_ chocked out her name.

"Yes, Mako."

* * *

><p>Ah, young love... *feeling like some old man here*<p>

*clear throat*Yup, yup! Second chapter everyone!

Thanks for reading and ENJOY! XDD Oh, review would be truly appreciated.


	3. Birth of a new madness

"_Hey, Ritsu."_

"_Yes, Princess?"_

_Mako puffed her cheek at the title he used but continued anyway, settling the half eaten onigiri on her lap._

"_After the whole training is over, what will you do?"_

"_..."_

_The boy didn't answer. He kept chewing on his meal, staring absentmindedly at the afternoon sky. Mako turned her face to him, a nervously smile on her usually beaming self._

"_If you don't have anywhere in particular to go, would you stay with me here?"_

_Silence._

"_Then, if you really have to go, _**please take me with you!**_"_

_She practically shouted the last part. Ritsu paused mid-movement, his onigiri still in his mouth as he turned to meet her eyes. The stay like that for minutes, before Ritsu's handmade lunch decided to let itself fall to his lap. Mako blinked, returning to reality. She frantically waved her arm to hide her burning face._

"_Ah! It just that, you're the first one to acknowledge me as myself, so I—and then—it's not like...forget it. Just forget it. Ahahaha!"_

_They resumed their lunch; silence lingered around them once more as each of them fighting with their own thought. Ritsu gazed silently at the grass below as he swallowed the last bit of his onigiri, before whispering quietly for only him to hear. A small smile plastered on his face._

"_...It'd be a pleasure, Princess..."_

XXXXX

Ritsu opened his eyes with a jolt. A wooden material of a door greeted him and he quickly registered his current position. Last room on the top floor, he was supposed to meet the 'albino beast' there at the old run-down inn.

He knocked on the door a few times; a certain pattern of codes used to identify their—no, not fellow assassins; that would be a naive way of saying it. He heard another knock from the other side of the door and finally proceeded inside, stopping in his track as he closed the door behind him. The room was pitch black but he could sense _it_. Of course, the 'albino beast' attacked its prey from above, he thought.

"Stop playing around, _Q_."

He breathed the words to the cold steel that was pressed against his throat, its owner giggled in response. The 'albino beast' stirred, taking the blade along as it crept silently away and switched on the light. A girl in her late teens could be seen standing on the far side of the room by now, her red eyes shone in the still dim-lighted room, her pure white hair stood in contrast with the dark surrounding. She smiled sweetly and inched closer, sending the younger boy a slight shiver. She giggled again.

"Oh come on, I was just testing your reflexes. Beside~ Who do you think you are ordering me around like that, hm?"

"Ouch, ouch, okay! I get it Tei-senpai, I get it!"

He tried desperately to escape her noogies. Satisfied with his answer, she stopped her assault and ruffled the boy's hair, grinning.

"So what's your business here, the oh-so-deadly number 73?"

"...it's Ritsu."

Tei blinked before laughing and hitting the boy's back, a bit too hard for his toleration. He glared at her.

"Oh yeah, I heard about it. The little princess named you~"

He watched in irritation as the girl twirled and skipped away to sit on the only chair in the room. She returned her gaze to the younger assassin, wearing a playful expression the boy hated the most; an indication of mental torture.

"Soo~ I guess that's the reason for your business here?"

"I only come here to report my mission—"

"—which is not progressing~ Right, _R-i-t-s-u_?"

He cursed at her sing-song voice, mentally slapping himself a few times. She laughed at the boy's reaction and ruffled his hair again.

"Oh yeah, the boss called."

"I still have a few days—"

"He will give you a new mission; looks like he got worried about his top dog lately."

Ritsu frowned. He knew what that meant. Gritting his teeth, he turned his gaze to the ground and mumbled something inaudible. The older girl smiled sweetly in response.

"Do you have any last word for her?"

"I won't let him... I will protect her."

She stared dumbfounded at him for a while before holding her face, unable to contain her laugh. The maniacal sound echoed within the small room, before dying down with a sharp intake of breath and white flash. Ritsu quickly reached for his dagger but was too late; he lost grasp of the hilt and was shoved to the cold wall. The albino girl pinned him, her smile stretched from ear to ear.

"What kind of weak saying was that, number 73? Ever since the boss found you that day, your fate had been locked; you are destined to kill. There is no other place for you but him."

Ritsu swallowed. He tried to pry himself off the girl's grip but she didn't budge even a bit. He glared as a last attempt, showing her his displeasure. She only sneer in response, her red eyes seemed to hold a glint of madness.

"Protect her? She is a god-damned Hashirama! She could take care of herself—"

"There's where you get it wrong! She's too soft and kind!"

The images of her passed by him—her smile, her loud yet beautiful voice, her pure kindness; he grabbed tightly on the girl's hand that was choking him, overwhelmed by anger.

"She won't—_I_ won't let her stain her hands!"

"Is that so? Well, what make you think someone like _you_ deserve her then?"

Ritsu froze, his breath caught on his throat. Tei smirked as she felt the boy stop struggling. She had won; the redhead stood unwaveringly like a broken doll as she released her grasp on him.

"Do you think you can take care of her? Someone who is only skilled in killing like you? Hah! Don't make me laugh, number 73."

She paused for a while, waiting for the boy to register her words. He turned silently toward the door in response, head hung low in defeat. As he held the door knob, she finally continued.

"The Boss is at the usual place. Nothing I can do though, any path you choose will lead into the same future."

_Death._

He ignored her and exited the room, shutting the door behind him slowly in a silent plea, hoping that the older assassin would do something to stop him. She didn't.

XXXXX

Mako sat on the riverbank, staring at the stream and the fishes swimming happily under her feet. She had waited for him for hours; it wasn't like him to be late. The girl brought her knees to a hug and sighed.

Did she make him angry? Did she say something wrong yesterday? She tried to search through her memories but as soon as the incident passed her mind her face started to turn like a tomato. She slapped her cheeks a few times, trying to get a grip of herself.

"What's wrong with me? Maybe I'm sick?"

The girl's innocent 7-years-old mind couldn't understand it. She sighed again, burying her face to her knees. Mako brought her face back up as she heard rustling behind her. She quickly shot to her feet, smiling the huge smile of her to greet her long-awaited companion.

"Good morning, Ritsu. It's not like you to be late—"

She froze, her eyes widened when they were met with pure white, instead of flaming red. She would think of it as a divine being if it wasn't for the red stains all over it and the sick smile on its face. The figure fell roughly to the ground, coughing some more red. Blood; she covered her mouth, starting to feel sick from the sight.

"Mako! Get away from her!"

It was her brother's voice; she could see him sprinted toward her after taking his sword out of the white creature's flesh. She tried to speak, to ask what was happening, but no sound came out of her. Instead, she let him put one protective arm around her as his other one was holding his sword. Strange. She never recalled his sword was red in color.

"It's alright now. Are you hurt?"

Mako grew limp on her brother's hold, shaking her head slowly as she buried her face to the fabric of his clothes; she was having a nightmare, she thought. Yes, she must had fallen asleep when she was waiting for Ritsu. The boy would come to wake her up anytime soon. He would—

"Hehe...how sweet... You're still waiting for him here?"

Mako tensed, her teary eyes shot open in an instant. She turned her face to the source of the voice, unconsciously walking toward it. Her brother held her in place and pointed his sword toward his enemy, eyes full with disgust.

"Shut your mouth, you filthy assassin!"

"Ritsu...You know Ritsu?"

"Wait, Mako!"

She broke out of her brother's grasp and stared at the fallen assassin intensely; her previous nausea and fear had been long forgotten.

"Where is he? What happen to him?"

"_He's dead_."

The words came out quick, just like a breeze that passed by. But it was enough to struck her, devouring her very soul, and the world around her came crashing down. She couldn't think anymore. The maniacal laugh, the curses, the splatter of bloods; she couldn't register her surrounding anymore even as her brother shook her and called her back to reality.

"...ko...mako...Mako!"

She gasped quietly, her mind returned to her body and she shivered, hugging herself tightly as if she could break apart anytime. Her brother sighed and stood, looking around the area.

"Looks like the other assassin was already at the Kasane. I have warn the guards there though, so I guess it will be fine. Let's go back for now, Mako. You seem to need a rest."

Mako stood slowly, almost mechanically, walking past her brother. He hold her wrist to stop her, frowning slightly.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Kasane..."

"It's alright. I already dispatch some of our best warriors."

"..."

She kept on walking and he tightened his grasp, pulling her slightly to look at her face. There was something wrong with the girl. She never talked that way, especially to him, her own brother.

"Mako, is there something wrong?"

"...no. I just want to avenge Ritsu."

"Ritsu? Avenge? What are you talking about? Come here, I'll carry you back to the house, okay?"

Mako gritted her teeth, glaring at her brother like some wild animal. She growled.

"Let me go, Makoto-nii! I'm going to kill those Kasane!"

Makoto swung her to the other way, sending her stumbling near the corpse of the previous assassin. He stared darkly at the girl, who stared back in mild shock.

"As one of the Hashirama, the sole guardians of the Kasane, I won't let you do such thing."

He grasped on the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to attack, but she knew that his heart was not. Unfortunately, she couldn't wait anymore. She took the blade of the dead assassin, standing carefully while fixing her eyes at her brother.

"Mako, please stop. I don't want to hurt you."

Mako dash toward her brother, aiming for an instant kill to his neck. He was faster though and he blocked the attack with ease. He twisted his sword, trying to disarm her but she quickly jumped back, skidding on the ground. Mako's eyes widened as she saw him already at her, ready to deal another blow. She sidestepped out of instinct, whimpering slightly as the sharp blade cut through the skin of her left shoulder; where her symbol as a Hashirama was. Mako smirked as she saw the expression on her brother's face; he never intended to hit any flesh, and now he looked like the one who had hole on his body. She grabbed tightly on the sharp steel with her left hand, ignoring the piercing pain the action produced, and raised her own blade to her brother's neck. She smiled her usual smile at the boy, who stared at her as if he was seeing a ghost.

"What a funny expression you have, nii-san. Too bad I couldn't see it for much longer."

_**SLASH**_

XXXXX

"Why hello there."

A man, fully covered in hood, smiled warmly at the young girl. She looked back at him with empty eyes, spewing the blood from her mouth before throwing away the load she was holding.

"What a lovely present you bring me. It must be hard to obtain it."

She watched in disgust as the man took the head and hugged it like some kind of teddy bear. After a while he returned his attention back to the girl, and he bowed slightly.

"Oh, yes. Welcome to your new home, number 75."

* * *

><p>When was the last time I opened my fanfiction account... *trailing off*<p>

*coughs* Anyway, sorry for the -very- slow update. Lot of things happened and I haven't got the time to write, BUT DON'T WORRY! All's good now! *thumbsup*

Thank you for reading everyone!

Enjoy the story! And please...REVIEW~~!


	4. The black twisted cendrillon

"_Oh, come, number 75. I've been waiting for you."_

_A female figure emerged from the darkness, sharp eyes watching intently like a hawk._

"_I have a present for you~"_

XXXXX

Ten years. Had it been that long? Mako idly played with the gold coin on her hand, fumbling with it and tossing it to the air. Her eyes focused on something distant, way to her past.

"_Good morning, princess."_

She gritted her teeth, clamping the coin until her knuckles turned white. The raven-haired girl let out an angry huff, before fiddling with the coin again. Bored with the piece of metal, she switched her gaze outside the moving wagon, past the busy town, way to the sorrowful gray sky.

When did everything turn into this? She closed her eyes and breathed to the black scarf on her neck. Its familiar scent washed over her; the thick scent of blood. How ironic. She who as a child could never hurt a single bug, she who was born in a guardian clan, ended up as a cold-blooded murderer after a lost of someone she just met. Everything changed in a blink of eye. She turned the coin on her palm, showing the other side of it. Yes, as easy as that; her world turned up-side down. The girl laughed bitterly to herself, clutching the ugly scar on her left shoulder; the place where her symbol as a Hashirama clan supposedly was.

That was way in the past, and she bore no regret. She was grateful of it; she was not blinded by the fake beauty of the world anymore. She now understood that the sky was simply reflected the bluish color, yet never had the color of its own. It was plain empty, just like the rest of the world; just like her heart.

"Your stop, miss."

Mako nodded and tossed the gold coin to the wagoner, silently slipping out of the wooden box in one swift movement. She criss-crossed the crowded street with ease and descended the staicase hidden in the dark alleyway. A large wooden door blocked her path; she knocked on it with a pattern that she had mentally noted. Another knocking sound was heard on the other side and she replied with another knock. Silence lingered for a while before the door creaked open.

"Welcome to the Vipper's lair."

XXXXX

"_Now, now. Don't get impatient. I know this is the feast you've been waiting."_

_The man snickered. He tossed a scroll to air, which the woman caught without difficulty. _

"_Surprise~! Your new mission is to assassinate the Kasane lord~"_

_He clapped his hands like an overjoyed child, laughing happily all the while._

"_But there is not all to it. You have to infiltrate a—"_

XXXXX

"—royal ball? Aww, I wish _I_ was the one given this mission."

Mako shot a glare to her fellow assassin at that. The other female held up her hands in defense, rabbit ears tensed in alert.

"Geez, I was only kidding! But really, you're like being possessed everytime the Kasane was mentioned."

The black-haired female ignored the statement. There was no need for her to tell anything. There was no need for any of them to try and understand each other; they were no friends.

"_Do you have any friend, Ritsu?"_

"_Friend? Are you kidding, princess?"_

Yes, that was a taboo word for those who lived from spilling innocent's blood like them. Her blonde companion understood this as much as she did; the bunny girl kept silent and resumed on reading the rest of the mission scroll. Meanwhile, Mako was having a bit difficulty with her dress. She frowned.

She had never worn anything so lady-like like this; it bothered her to no end. It was hard to move around with and felt like exposing her weakness to the whole world. Still, wasn't that what disguise do? To make her look as harmless as possible to lure out her prey. She silently laughed at the thought.

"Having trouble with your dress, your highness?"

Mako tried to look menacing, but this time it was more like a pathetic kind of look with her tangled between layers of clothing. She backed down for now, letting the other female helped her with the annoying piece of clothes.

XXXXX

"_Your time will be up as the clock strike twelve. Then the back-up will arrive, providing your escape route. Meanwhile you can dance with him to your heart content."_

_The man twirled around in false joy._

"_Now that I mention it, doesn't it sound like a certain fairytale to you?"_

XXXXX

"The householder of the Kasane family; Ted Kasane. Do you know how to find him?"

Mako nodded. She didn't care if the man could see her from the front seat of the carriage or not; he always knew. The man continued.

"He was known for his red hair. It was catchy; you'll find him right away."

Red-hair, huh? Irony after irony; fate had always known how to make her life more miserable. But she wouldn't back down. This was something that she had been waiting for; the very reason for her to survive the cruel world. She wouldn't stop. She would swallow her pain and move on.

"We have arrived."

Her cold eyes sharpened. This was it; she mentally suppressed the filthy grudge she had hold ever since that day. She tried keep herself from charging in and taking some unnecessary slaughter to satisfy the unhealthy desire. It was hard; her body shook from the hidden bloodlust that had been piled up for years.

"_As an assassin, you need to always keep your calm. When you don't, then that would be the end of you."_

The mere thought rendered her silent. Calmness flooded her like waterfall as she gracefully stepped outside the carriage, eyes soft and stern in the same time. She walked in a slow steady steps toward the dance hall.

It was like the Cendrillon, the way she was now. Unknown to anyone at the room; a foreign beauty gracefully walked across the dance hall as thousand of eyes were locked at her figure. And just like in the fairytale, her prince was waiting for her at the stairway, one hand extended to take hers on its warm embrace. She let him took her away, leading her as their bodies glided over the dance floor. Still, reality never told a false story filled with such beautiful lies.

She wouldn't leave a glass slipper on her wake. She wouldn't need the prince to find her and take her with him; she would be the one taking him away. Yes, with one thrust of the cold blade hidden under her silky white dress, she would left nothing but a sick scent of death. She was a princess overwhelmed by the smell of gunpowder.

Mako understood that with her whole being. Yet, she couldn't bear to hold her face straight. The flaming red hair, the calm green eyes with an eyepatch over the left one; it was as if the prince charming from her childhood had came back to her. She was drawn into his powerful yet tender embrace. As their dance slowed toward the empty balcony, she hesitantly leaned on him, listening to his heartbeat that would soon vanish with the last sounding bell. She didn't want to let go.

"You have become so beautiful, _princess_."

The last word struck her stronger than lightning. As she finally turned her eyes upon his, her breath was caught on her throat; her eyes widened in shock as memories of her childhood flooded into her at once.

"Ri..tsu..?"

"Yes, princess?"

His voice was low and husky, as he breathed those words onto her milky white skin.

"What happened? Did you come to find me?"

The red-haired prince brushed his finger over the thin layer of her sleeve, leaving ghostly trail over the scar on her left shoulder; she shivered under the touch. She couldn't think anymore. The resolved pride she once had disappeared into the thin air as the man pulled her closer into his warm body. He tilted her chin with his free hand, brushing her tears that had decided to silently trickle down her face. She sobbed.

"Ritsu...I—"

_**DING**_

Twelve o'clock; the bell rang loudly and snapped the assassin off her fairytale. She backed away, covering her tears. The blade kept hidden under her clothing fell to the floor with a clank; she stared at it in horror before retreating down the balcony.

Mako ran. She ran and ran without looking back. She ran as fast as she could, all the way to the deep dark forest.

XXXXX

"_There was not much known of that Kasane; he was the householder yet rarely show himself!"_

_The man threw his arms in childish annoyance._

"_But he do have the trademark red hair of the Kasane. Speaking of which, I think I know a little someone with red hair as well. I wonder who..."_

XXXXX

She was breaking down. She wept on a large tree stump, dress shattered from her non-stop running. It was pathetic of her, huh? She had been living all this time to revenge his death, and yet there he was, posing as the one she should have killed. She didn't understand anymore; everything was more than complicated for her. As she dried her tears, she hugged herself. Oh how fragile she had always been, hiding behind the facade of cold-blooded murderer. Maybe, deep down, she had always been the gentle little girl she once was, simply blinded by sheer anger and grudge.

"What are you doing here, princess?"

Mako gasped. She slowly turned her face to the direction of the voice, to her awaiting prince. But there was no such thing. Instead, a dark twisted figure of an assassin was there, one green eye cold and devoid of emotion. Her forming smile vanished.

"Stand up."

He tossed her knife that previously fell in her failed attempt of assassination. She stared down at it blankly, raven-colored bangs shadowed her face.

"Fight. Fight or you'll be killed."

She hung her head low as the other assassin raised his blade, ready to strike. She wanted to stay put, wanted to let everything end now. But she couldn't. Her reflexes took over and she dodged the killing blow, taking her knife as she rolled on the grass. Gripping the blunt end tightly, she let out a battle cry and lunged herself at the male assassin.

Their dance resumed there; a lot more robust and rough than their previous waltz. Basking in the moonlight, the calm forest became their new dancefloor; the sound of the nocturnes and the clashing of their blades became a music that accompanied their movements in perfect synch.

Mako unconsciously smiled; this fight that might take away her life felt like the most peaceful moment for her. They were atoning their sin and making another; they were embracing each other presence, telling one another story of their cursed souls. Thus, she grinned as she thrust her knife to an opening, aiming for his heart. Their dance stopped, with both of them holding close as if embracing their first and last reunion. Mako coughed, blood spilling out from her mouth. It was foolish to charge blindly at the once most fearsome assassin. She knew, but she did it anyway. To her surprise, he didn't dodge her at all, but flashed her his trademark smile she had yearn to see for years. He chuckled.

"You have improved so much, princess."

Mako would've laughed, if it wasn't for the blade that was piercing through her upper torso; she sighed contently instead, leaning her face to the fabric of his shirt as they both fell to the cold ground. They stay like that; with her snuggling to the warm of his body as he hugged her close. Their blood silently pooled under them like a luxurios red carpet; Mako stared down at it in irony as she felt her conscious started to slip. Ritsu stroked her hair gently.

"It's time to go, princess."

She nodded.

Mako closed her eyes. There was a brief darkness, before everything turned white. She could see him standing not far from her, with his huge playful grin, waiting for her with an offering hand. She smiled and took his hand, as they finally walked down the red carpet toward the awaiting future.

"Let's live on our fairytale now. Together, forever..."

* * *

><p>Whoops, finally the end of the main story.<p>

There'll be about two more chapters though, just to reveal some important things.

Enjoy the chapter! XD


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